Holy Trinity Episcopal Church

01/25/2026

Dear Members of the Episcopal Diocese of the Susquehanna,

In recent days the brightness of the Epiphany light has been obscured as division and discord in our nation has turned to deadly violence in our streets. The events in Minneapolis – the killing of Renee Nicole Good by an ICE agent, this weekend’s shooting and killing of Alex Jeffrey Pretti by federal forces – and the ongoing illegal seizure and detention without due process of hundreds of individuals across our country call for us as citizens and Christians, to respond.

Woe to those who call evil good
and good evil,
who put darkness for light
and light for darkness,
who put bitter for sweet
and sweet for bitter!
Isaiah 5:20

These are grievous days in which the evil that Isaiah writes about is evident in our cities, villages, and in the hearts of those who do harm. In the face of evil, God calls us to resist and to work, empowered by the Holy Spirit, to restore the peace and harmony that is God’s dream for us.

Many of us across the diocese are already engaged as peacemakers and reconcilers. Our parishes are working to support the most vulnerable in our communities. Individuals are serving in ways that are both quiet and bold, reaching out one-on-one or to whole groups serving to repair the breach. In the great prologue to John’s gospel, we read: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:5) While the light maybe obscured, it is not extinguished. God’s love will prevail.

Today I call us to discernment. I invite a diocesan-wide practice to engage in prayerful reflection on God’s call to us, asking for affirmation of the ways that we are now serving and direction for the days ahead. This ancient Christian practice invites us to listen for God’s call to us as we follow the path of love. United by the waters of baptism, each of us in our diocese – lay and clergy alike – is called to participate in God’s mission and to find our place that will bring us from heartbreak to healing. Our nation needs us and our faith instructs us to do this work. Discernment is not a “one and done” event but an ongoing practice that reveals God’s will for us.

In my discernment in the past several months, I have heard God calling me to “stability.” This monastic virtue is described by St. Benedict as a path of perseverance in the face of adversity and the refusal to flee when the community or self becomes uncomfortable. Benedict also points to stability as the place where conversion of life can take place. For me, stability means “showing up:” sitting each morning to read the scriptures and say my prayers, meeting with people in their own discernment even when answers are not yet evident, and remaining faithful to our pattern of worship, coming together to be nourished by the Sacraments. Stability means to stand in the face of evil and to proclaim God’s power and love.

And now, God is calling us to discern some more. To revisit our practices in the context of what is happening in our country today. Through this practice God may affirm that what we are doing is holy and good and to keep at it, or God may reveal something new, something more for us to do.

I invite you to join me in discernment and to do this work individually or collectively, as a family or parish community. There are materials provided at the end of this letter to assist you in your prayer of discernment. May your work be blessed as you find God’s call to you as an agent of peace.

If you would like to share the call that God has placed on your heart with our diocesan community, please email [email protected] and we will keep a list on our website to invite ongoing prayers for our ministry together from now until we celebrate the paschal feast at Easter.

May God bless us and keep us and may the light of Christ shine in our hearts.

The Rt. Rev. Audrey C. Scanlan
Bishop Diocesan of The Diocese of the Susquehanna

Access the discernment resources: https://diosusquehanna.org/news/a-call-for-peace-and-discernment/

10/08/2025

Pet blessing today at 6 pm. All creatures, great and small, are invited!

07/13/2025

06/24/2025

On Saturday evening the 21st of June we learned from the President that three sites in Iran known to store materials for the making of nuclear weapons and a research complex were bombed by the United States of America. The Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff has noted that this was the “lar...

05/26/2025

Photos from yesterday’s very exuberant dog blessing. Thanks to Jane Sheffield and Don Rothrauff, Jr., ace photographers🤗

05/24/2025

Tomorrow is Bring Your Pet To Church Day at Holy Trinity ❤️ special blessings (and treats, of course!) for each one. And we’ll also be blessing seeds and gardening tools. Everyone is invited! We start at 9 a.m.

05/13/2025

Letter from Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe on Episcopal Migration Ministries
May 12, 2025
Dear People of God in The Episcopal Church:
I am writing today with some significant news about Episcopal Migration Ministries, the organization that leads The Episcopal Church’s refugee resettlement ministry.
Since January, the previously bipartisan U.S. Refugee Admissions Program in which we participate has essentially shut down. Virtually no new refugees have arrived, hundreds of staff in resettlement agencies around the country have been laid off, and funding for resettling refugees who have already arrived has been uncertain. Then, just over two weeks ago, the federal government informed Episcopal Migration Ministries that under the terms of our federal grant, we are expected to resettle white Afrikaners from South Africa whom the U.S. government has classified as refugees.
In light of our church’s steadfast commitment to racial justice and reconciliation and our historic ties with the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, we are not able to take this step. Accordingly, we have determined that, by the end of the federal fiscal year, we will conclude our refugee resettlement grant agreements with the U.S. federal government.
I want to be very clear about why we made this decision—and what we believe lies ahead for Episcopal Migration Ministries’ vital work.
It has been painful to watch one group of refugees, selected in a highly unusual manner, receive preferential treatment over many others who have been waiting in refugee camps or dangerous conditions for years. I am saddened and ashamed that many of the refugees who are being denied entrance to the United States are brave people who worked alongside our military in Iraq and Afghanistan and now face danger at home because of their service to our country. I also grieve that victims of religious persecution, including Christians, have not been granted refuge in recent months.
As Christians, we must be guided not by political vagaries, but by the sure and certain knowledge that the kingdom of God is revealed to us in the struggles of those on the margins. Jesus tells us to care for the poor and vulnerable as we would care for him, and we must follow that command. Right now, what that means is ending our participation in the federal government’s refugee resettlement program and investing our resources in serving migrants in other ways.
For nearly 40 years, Episcopal Migration Ministries has put hands and feet to our church’s commitment to seek and serve Christ in migrants and refugees. We have served nearly 110,000 refugees during this time, many of whom are now American citizens and beloved members of our communities, workplaces, and neighborhoods. Over the years, EMM has resettled individuals from Ukraine, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Myanmar. We have supported vulnerable populations from across the globe, regardless of nationality.
Since March, a dedicated team of Episcopal Migration Ministries employees has fulfilled our commitment to serve people who arrived just before or in the first days of the new administration. Now that we are ending our involvement in federally funded refugee resettlement, we have asked the administration to work toward a mutual agreement that will allow us to wind down all federally funded services by the end of the federal fiscal year in September. We are working with the affected staff members to provide extensive outplacement services and severance packages.
I have said before that no change in political fortunes alters our commitment to stand with the world’s most vulnerable people, and I want to reaffirm that promise. While our public-private partnership as a refugee resettlement agency is no longer viable, we are hard at work on a churchwide plan to support migrants and refugees through:
Diocesan partnerships: We have vibrant ministries around the church serving migrants of all kinds. Episcopalians support newcomers through education, direct service, and advocacy. Our dioceses also work to address the root causes of migration. We pledge to redouble our efforts to support these ministries and the migrants among us.
Global connections: We will invest in our ministries that support forced migrants throughout the countries and territories of The Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion. This includes our powerful ministry in Europe, where the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe has served more than 140,000 refugees in the last two years, primarily from North Africa, Ukraine, and Central Asia. We will continue to work with our dioceses and Anglican partners throughout Central America to help those seeking safety.
Continued support for refugees: While new refugee arrivals and funding have been curtailed by the current administration, thousands of refugees welcomed by Episcopal Migration Ministries in previous years still need support. We will invite Episcopalians to connect with resettled refugees and explore how to continue services we have long provided—language services, continuing education, support with childcare, and job training. If refugee resettlement begins again with the support of private sponsors, we will explore those new possibilities.
Fundraising: It is important to understand the scale of federal grant money from which we are stepping away. In most recent years, Episcopal Migration Ministries received more than $50 million annually in federal funds. This is not a loss that can be bridged with donor funds or proceeds from investments. However, we will raise funds for new and expanded migration ministries across the church and for our partners in this ministry. You can contribute to this new work by making a donation on the Episcopal Migration Ministries website.
In the coming weeks, Episcopal Migration Ministries will share more news about how to be involved. In the meantime, please pray for vetted refugees who have not been granted permission to come to this country, for the staff who will be affected by the end of these federal grants, and for everyone who grieves the end of our federal refugee resettlement work.
May our faith in the Risen Christ, who draws all people to himself, sustain and guide us through the tumult of these times.
The Most Rev. Sean W. Rowe
Presiding Bishop
The Episcopal Church
Note: Read more in these FAQs: https://www.episcopalchurch.org/public-affairs/faq-regarding-episcopal-migration-ministries/?fbclid=IwY2xjawKQLNZleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETExbTdpeEJlSU5PWWl1Wk9YAR6zo9iyi3gCXfpErW3Qf5Ur4MPofXVuaDkOn4JhtFmLKBTKNpdzLMRd6fsHTg_aem_1pJ_ZQNotShr6BHkrXOn0A

04/14/2025

Please join us for Holy Week services:
Maundy Thursday 7 pm
Good Friday 7 pm

02/08/2025

Holy Trinity folks - Amy and I have discussed the weather forecast for tonight and have decided for everyone’s safety to cancel tomorrow’s worship service. Stay warm and safe!

12/21/2024

Join us for Christmas Eve service at 6 pm